Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 3 · Lecture 42
Lecture XLII. On Psalme 51.3. Decemb. 5. 1626.
IT followeth now, that we proceed to the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto. And they are principally two,Vse 1. 1. For exhortation, and 2, For reproofe. And for the first. The use of exhortation. It serveth to perswade us, that we would be afraid of sin, and take heed of it. This is certainly a duty that wee all neede oft to bee put in mind of, and exhorted unto. It would be a matter of unspeakeable use and benefit unto us, if we could be afraid of sin. We shall never be able to keepe our selves from the danger of any sin; till we can esteeme of sin, as of a mortall enemy, and bee afraid of it. The godly man is described by this property, Eccle, 9.2. that he feareth an oath, he is afraid of sin. Now there is great force in this Doctrine, to perswade us to bee afraid of sin, and to take heed of it. Even the consideration of the after-thoughts we shall one day have of our sins, and the trouble that our owne consciences will put us unto for them. The force that there is in this Doctrine to perswade us unto this duty, will appeare to us in foure points.
First. Our conscience will be apt to bring our sin into our remembrance, to set it before us, and to accuse us for it Though we sin never so secretly, & could be most certaine, that it should never bring us to any shame or punishment in this world, yet can we not be secure from the accusation of our own conscience, we cannot be certaine we shall never heare of it againe. When we have done with our sin, it will not have done with us, but when the pleasure of it is quite gone, we know not how soone, nor how oft our conscience will be apt to bring it into our remembrance, to lay it in our dish, & upbraid us with it. Thus we see it did with David here; his sin (he saith) was ever before him. Thus it did (as we heard the last day) with Iosephs brethren, twenty yeares after their sin was committed, Genesis 42.21. Thus it did with Iob, 13.26. he possessed the sinnes of his youth.
Secondly. Our conscience will bee apt, not onelyonly to bring our sin into our remembrance, but also to smite us, and wound us for it. So it is divers times said of David, 1 Samuel 24.5 and 2 Samuel 24.10. that his heart did smite him. When our sin is thus brought into our remembrance, and set before us by our conscience, it will appeare unto us in another fashion, and shape, then it did before, when we first knew it. When it first came unto us to tempt, and allure us, it came like a friend, and did looke amiably, and pleasantly upon us. It promised us great pleasure, or great advantage, if we would yeeld unto it. Sinne deceived mee (saith Paul, Rom. 7.11.) and so slew me. But when it shall be brought againe by our conscience into our mind, and set before us, it will appeare unto us, as an enemy, and a tormentor, and the sight of it will be grievous, and terrible unto us. It is therefore fitly resembled by the harlot Solomon speaketh of. Proverbs 5.3, 4. The lips of a strange woman, drop as an hony combe, there is the first comming of sin, when it commeth to tempt, and allure us, but what followeth? Her end is bitter as worme-wood, sharpe as a two edged sword. There is the second comming of sin into our mind, when it commeth to accuse, and torment us. It is like unto those locusts Iohn saw in his vision, and whereby he doth testifie, and represent the Popish fryers, and Iesuites, Reve. 9.7.8.10. Their faces were as the faces of men, and their haire, as the haire of women. There is the shape that sin appeareth in, when it first representeth and offereth it selfe unto us; but their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons, and they had tailes like unto Scorpions, and there were stings in their tayles. There is the latter comming of sin, and the bitternesse, and anguish it will put us unto, when our conscience shall set it before us, and accuse us of it. And certainly, no paine or anguish in the world in comparable to that, which the strokes, and wounds of the conscience will put a man unto. A wounded spirit who can beare? Pro. 18.14. To have unquietnes at home, to have her unquiet with thee, that is continually with thee at board and in bed, is justly estemed one of the greatest miseries in this life. Solomon compared it. Pro. 19.13. to a continuall dropping, that will wast the hardest stone in the world. But to have our own conscience brawle, and exclaime, and be unquiet with us, is a misery unspeakably greater then the former can be. O then, let us be afraid to sin even in this respect, because our conscience will be so apt to fall out, and be unquiet with us, if wee do; so apt to cast it in our teeth, to accuse, yea, to smite, and wound us for it,
Thirdly, The time when our conscience will begin thus to set our sins before us, thus to rebuke, to check, and wound us for them, or when it hath once begun, when it will make an end, or in what degree, or measure it will doe it, no man but God alone, that setteth it a worke doth know. This kind of affliction (as all other is) is compared to a cup, or potion. Mark. 10.39. Ye shall indeed drinke of the cup that I drinke of. Now this cup the Lord keepeth in his own hana (as it is said. Ps. 75.8.) & he powreth out of the same, Every man shall drinke of this cup, when the Lord seeth good to minister it, and hee shall drinke of it in that measure, as the Lord shall see good to appoint. But no man hath cause to looke for any long truce with his conscience, or that i will give him any long day. If thou dost not well (saith the Lord to Cain. Gen. 4.…) sin (that is the punishment, and sting of sin) lyeth at the doore, that is, is neere, even at the doore as the same phrase is rendred, Mat. 24.33.
Fourthly, and lastly. There is no comparison betweene the pleasure or profit that any sin can yeeld us, and the anguish, and paine which our conscience will put us unto, when it shall accuse and smite us for it. 1. The pleasure, and joy that sin yeeldeth us, is but overly in the fa…e, rather then in the heart; as the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor. 5.1…. There is no soundnesse in it, it is mixed for the most part with inward gripings, Pro. 14.13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull. But the sorrow, and anguish that our conscience will put us unto, when it accuseth, and smiteth us for si…, ô that is a soaking and deep sorrow, It is bitter, and reacheth unto the heart, as the Prophet speaketh, Ieremy. 4.18. 2. The pleasure or profit that any sinne can yeeld us, is but momentany, and of very short continuance. That made Moses make so light account of all the pleasures of sin, because he knew they endured but for a season. Heb. 11.25. They are therefore compared Eccl. 7.6. to the crackling and blaze that thornes make under a pot. But the sorrow that sin will bring us unto, when our conscience shall charge us with it, is durable, and no man knoweth how long it will last. That sin that may bee committed in an houre, or in farre lesse space, may cost a man deepe sorrow and griefe of mind all the dayes of his life after. For a conclusion therefore of this first duty, that from this doctrine wee are exhorted unto, certainly if we could rightly consider of this worke of our conscience, how apt it will be when God shall awaken it, to bring our sins to our remembrance, in this manner as you have heard of, it would make us afraid to sin. See the truth of this in three notable examples The first is of Iob. My righteousnes (saith he Iob 27.6.) I hold fast, and will not let it go; yea, he professeth ver. 3, 4. All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God … in my nostrils, my lips shall not speake wickednes, nor my tongue utter deceit. And why so? My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. As if he had fail, I will not give my conscience occasion to brawle with me; whatsoever I doe, I will have care to keepe peace there. The second is of Abigal, that wise and gracious woman, who perswadeth David, not to revenge himselfe of her husband Nab…l, by this argument, 1 Sam. 25.30, 31. It shall come to passe, when the Lord shall have ap…ointed thee ruler over all Israel; that this shall bee no griefe to thee, nor offence of heart unto my Lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelesse, or that my Lord hath avenged himselfe. As if shee had sayd, if thou shou'dst doe it, thy conscience will be apt one day to checke, and smite thee for it, even when thou shalt be King, and in thy greatest pompe; doe it not therefore, that thou mayst prevent the accusation of thy conscience. The third is of Paul, who giveth this reason, why he was so afraid of every sin, whether it were against the first or second table, even the care he had to keepe his conscience cleare, and quiet. Act. 24.16 Herein do I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men. And so much of the first use that this Doctrine serveth unto.
Secondly,Vse 2. it serveth for reproofe of such as never thinke of never are troubled with any of their sins, they could never say as David doth here, my sin is ever before me. Of this sort, the world is full in all places. Observe the truth of this in three degrees.
First, the greatest part of men were never troubled in their mind for any sin in all their lives; yea, the greatest sinners are of all men least troubled in mind for sin. They are not in trouble (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 73.5.) as other men. Nay their conscience is so senslesse, so fast asleep, as nothing will waken it. Such thundring Sermons they oft heare, as one would think, might break the rockiest heart that is, and yet they never stirre these men. But they are like Iudas, who though he heard Christ so speake of his sin, as made all his fellowes exceeding sorrowfull, Mat. 26.22. though he heard him so particularly apply his speech, as he could not choose but understand hee was the man hee meant; for our Saviour said, Iohn 13.26. Hee it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it, and when hee had dipped the sop, hee gave it to Iudas. And when hee asked Christ as the rest had done, Master is it I? Christ said unto him, Thou hast said. Mat. 26.25. Though he had heard Christ with his powerfull voice denounce that fearefull woe against him, Mat. 26.24. Woe unto the man by whom the sonne of man is betraied, it had beene good for that man if hee had never beene borne. Yet did not all this move him one whit, but hee became worse, and worse after all this, Iohn 13 27. After the sop Satan entred into him. And alas, how many have we that are like to Iudas in this point? No sermon will move them, nay the Lord oft times layeth such stroakes upon them, scourgeth them with such afflictions, as one would thinke might pierce the most seared conscience in the world, and bring their sins unto remembrance, and yet you shall see these men when they are most vexed with paines and diseases in their bodies, with troubles and perplexities in their outward estate, yet as quiet in their consciences, as free from all remorse and trouble of mind for sin, yea as confident of Gods love toward them in Christ as the holiest man in the world. So God speaketh of Israel, Hos. 8.2, 3. When they had cast off the thing that is good, and for that cause the enemie the Assyrian should pursue them, yet even then in that great affliction they should crye unto God, My God we know thee. Certainely this is the case of many a man, no afflictions will awaken their consciences even upon their death beds, you shall not be able to perceive that any of their sins doe trouble them, but even (as Iob speaketh Iob 21.23.) they are wholly at ease and quiet, that is wonderfully quiet in their conscience. The strong armed man keepeth the pallace (as our Saviour speaketh Luke 11.21) and all his goods are in peace.
Secondly, Nay many, though they can be content in generall to confesse that they and all men are sinners▪ yet can they not discerne any particular sin to charge themselves withall, and if any other man should charge them with it, they would be ready to justifie themselves as Ephraim did, of whom the Prophet speaketh, Hos. 12.7, 8, who though he were as a false merchant, and the ballances of deceit were in his hand, he used deceit in his weights and in his measures, yet he justifieth himselfe and saith in all my labours, and tradi…g they shall finde none iniquity in me, which is sin. As if he had said, Though I have done a little wrong sometimes to men in my trading, in my weights and measures, and shewed my selfe my crafts-master in making my wares seeme better then they were, tush that is nothing, all of our trade doe so, and must doe so, or else we could not live, tush that is no sin. Alas the world is full of such blind wretches, as being notorious sinners; yet doe secure and blesse themselves in their estate, even upon this ground, that they know nothing by themselves that deserveth to be counted a sin, at least a mortall sin. They are Papists in this (as in many other) point; either they have no sin at all, or if any none but veniall sins. These mens case is notably set forth by the Lord, Ier. 2.34, 35. In thy skirts is found the bloud of the soules of the poore innocents. I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. As if he had said, Every thing that was about them, their garments, their houshold-stuffe, their faire houses, &c. were monuments of and carried the print of their oppression; see how grosse sinners they were, and yet in the next words marke their extreame blindnesse and security, yet thou sayest, because I am innocent surely his anger shall turne from mee. In times of greatest danger they feared nothing, out of this conceit, that they were so innocent. But what followeth? Behold I will plead with thee because thou saist, I have not sinned.
Nay thirdly, The most men count it a great happinesse to forget their sins, and never to thinke of them, and therfore they even study the art of oblivion in this point, shunning all meanes carefully, that might bring their sinnes into their remembrance, as Ahab did Micajahs ministery, 1 Kings 22.8. and Felix, Pauls. Acts 24.25. and they greedily hunt after all the meanes they can devise or thinke of, that they may put their sinnes out of their thoughts. According to that speech of Solomon, Ecclesiast. 7.4. The heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
Now unto these men I have three things to say.
First, If Iob, and David, and Paul were in a blessed estate, then must the case of these men surely be most miserable. Their sin (as we heard the last day) was ever before them, came oft into their remembrance, troubled their minds much, and thou never thinkest of any of thy sins, art never troubled with any such matter. They counted it a great happinesse to have such friends, to heare such ministers as would rouse, and waken their sleepy consciences, & put them in mind of their sins. Ps. 141.5. Let the righteous smite me, and let him reprove me. Yea, they prayed to God for this, Iob 13.23. Make me to know my transgression, and my sin. And thou cryest, God blesse me from such preachers that should so disquiet my mind
Secondly, the blindnes, and senslesnes of thy conscience, is no such benefit as thou imaginest; O no, it is a fearefull judgement, & curse of God upon thee, for it maketh thee unable to repent, it keepeth thee from all comfort and benefit by Christ, Ioh. 12.39, 40. Therefore they could not beleeve, because (as Esaias saith) he hath blinded their eyes, & hardned their hearts, left they should be converted, and I should heale them. This is a judgement wherby God punisheth other grievous sins, and of all punishments the most fearefull. Psal. 81.11, 12. My people would not hearken unto my voice, Israel would none of mee, so I gave them up to the hardnes of their hearts. As they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge (saith the Apostle, Rom. 1.28.) God gave them over to a reprobate mind. This is of all the judgements of God the most admirable and dreadfull, to see what meanes God giveth to wicked men to awaken their consciences, & how senslesse they remain still. To see men smitten of God, as I shewed you Iudas was, whom no ministery could stir, or as Pharaoh, or Ieroboam, whom no judgments could move. Thus speaketh the Lord of this judgement. Stay your selves, and wonder (saith the Lord, Esa. 29.9.) Why what should they stay themselves to consider, and wonder at? Surely at this judgement that was upon the Prophets, and rulers, and people of that time. They are drunken (saith he) but not with wine; the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes. This is the admirable judgement when all is done. Let no man therefore any longer account it a blessing, to have a senslesse conscience, that will never put him in mind of his sins, nor checke him for them; but account it a great favour of God, to have a wakefull, and a tender conscience, and pray with the Prophet, Psal. 13.3. O Lord my God, lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, that deep and deadly sleep of a benummed and senslesse conscience. Remember, and beleeve that saying of Solomon, Pro. 28.14. Blessed is the man that feareth alway, but he that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischiefe. David had never (as we see here) humbled himselfe thus, and run to Gods mercy-seat, & sued for pardon so fervently as he did, if his conscience being awakened had not thus set his sins before him. Six great benefits I told you of the last day, that Gods people receive by the wakefulnesse, and tendernesse of their conscience, that puts them oft in remembrance of their sins.
You will object.Object. 1 It cannot (surely) be esteemed a mercy, but a judgement, and tentation, to have mine old sins brought oft into my remembrance, which I have long since repented of, and obtained assurance of the pardon of.
I answer.Answ. Yes, it is profitable to remember, and thinke oft even of those sins (as wee heard the last day in the proofe of the Doctrine) that thou mayest increase the assurance of the pardon of those sins, both 1. by examining the truth of thy repentance (for to hauehave ceased long from those sins will not argue thou hast truely repented) and 2. By renewing and encreasing thy humiliation for them.
Object.But if we should much busie our selves with calling our sins to minde, and musing of them, it would bring us to despaire, and deprive vsus of all comfort.
Answ.I answer, 1. the sight of thy sins (how hainous soever they have beene) and sorrow for them, may stand well enough with true faith, and confidence in Gods mercy; many have had deepe sence of their sins, that have also had sound faith. A man may see in himselfe aboundant matter of sorrow and feare, and yet discerne even at that time more matter of comfort and joy in the Lord. Thus Daniel did, Dan. 9.8, 9. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face, to our King, to our Princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee; to the Lord our God belonge mercies, and forgivenesses though wee have rebelled against thee. Serve the Lord with feare (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 2.11.) and rejoyce with trembling. And it is said of the two Maryes, Mat. 28.8. that they departed quickly from the sepulcher with feare and great joy. 2. Yea a man is never so fit to admire and take comfort in the mercy of God, as when he seeth the multitude and odiousnesse of his owne sins. Never did Paul so rejoyce in Gods mercy as when he had most sence of his owne sins, as is evident, 1 Tim. 1.12.-15.3 The sight of thy sins, so long as it is joyned with a godly sorrow and hatred of them, a desire of reconciliatiō with God, so long as it driveth thee to acknowledgement & humbling thy selfe before God, is not the way to desperatiō, but unto sound comfort. It is the unwillingnesse of men to see and acknowledge their sins, that bringeth despaire, and not their willingnesse to doe it, as we may see in David, While he kept silence, his bones waxed old, through his roaring all the day long, Psal. 32.3. But what course tooke he to finde comfort? See ver. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. It is a mans putting of his mouth in the dust, that giveth him hope of mercy, Lam 3.29. The afflicted and poore in spirit trust in the Lord Zach. 3.12.
Object. 3But how can this be (will some say) that it should be such a blessing to have a tender conscience, that is so apt to put a man in mind of his sins, seeing the conscience when it accuseth a man useth also to smite and wound him, as it was with David, 1 Sam 24.5. and that there is no paine or anguish in the world comparable to that which the strokes and wounds of the conscience put a man unto, Pro. 18.14. A wounded spirit who can beare?
Answ.I answer, 1. If thou wouldst waken thy owne conscience by a due examination of thy owne wayes, and calling thy sins to thine owne remembrance, it would be lesse bitter and painefull to thee, then if by this neglecting thy selfe, thou put the Lord to doe it. 1 Cor. 11.23.31. Let a man examine himselfe, for if we would judge our selues, we should not be judged. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 10 31. 2. I answer that it is true indeed a tender and wakefull conscience will put a man to paine and trouble, but the paine and trouble that driveth a man to God (as Davids did here) is a wholesome and medicinable paine, a meanes to keepe us from those paines and sorrowes that are everlasting. Of this kinde of chastisement which the conscience giveth us, that may bee said which Paul saith of all Gods chastisements. Heb 12.11. No chastisement for the present seemeth joyous but grievous, neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby.
The third and last thing I have to say to these sencelesse men is this, that the state they are now in, will not last alwayes. Certainely that conscience that is now so dead asleepe, will one day awaken, and doe his office, by setting thy sins before thee, either to drive thee to God by repentance, as it did David here; or to drive thee to the Devill by desperation, as it did Cain and Iudas. That which Moses said to the two tribes & the halfe, Num. 32.13 may be sayd to eueryevery secure and dead hearted sinner. Yee have sinned against the Lord, and bee you sure your sinne will find you out. Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee (saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremy 2.19.) and thy backslidings shall reprove thee; know therefore and see, that it is an evill thing and bitter; that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my feare is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hostes. Be thou sure, conscience will find thee out, and reprove thee sharply for thy sins, sooner or later, at one time or other. Shall Gods people (thinke we) and his dearest servants be the only men whose sins shall be set before their eyes, who shall be vexed and disquieted with the sense of their sins, whose consciences shall accuse and smite, & wound them for sin? No, no, if David, and Iob, and Peter have bin so troubled, and put to such anguish of mind for their sins, bee ye sure the reprobate, and sinner shall feele much more, If this be done to the greene trees, that had much sap of grace, and goodnesse in them, what shall be done to the dry? As our Saviour speaketh, Lu. 23.31. The sorrow that Gods people endure for their sinnes, it is nothing if it be compared with that that the reprobate shall feele. The dregs of the cup of the Lords wrath, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drinke them. as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme. 7.5, 8. As senslesse, and benummed as Iudas his conscience was, before he had betrayed Christ, so as Christs powerfull ministery (as you heard) could not awaken it, yet did it not alwayes continue so, but presently after he had committed his sin, it was awakened with a witnesse, and did his office upon him, as you may see, Matth. 27.3, 5. This the Lord threatneth to such sinners as have beene least troubled with their sins, and most confident of his love, Psalme 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence, thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy selfe, but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. And when God shall set thy sins before thee, thou shalt not be able to avoid the looking, and thinking of them no more then Belshazzar was the hand writing upon the wall. Dan. 5.5.
And when will God doe this, may you say? When shall the consciences of all wicked men be awakened?Quest.
I answer.Answ. 1. God can do it even in the time of our best health, and greatest jolitie, as he did with Belshazzar. 2. He doth it usually in the time of sicknesse, or some sharpe affliction, as he did with Iosephs brethren, Genes. 42.21. And 3 If thy conscience doe not awaken before, certainly, so soone as thou commest to judgement, either generall or particular, thy conscience will then awaken, and doe his office upon thee, even the office of an accuser, of a witnesse, and of a tormentor. At the day of the declaration of the just judgement of God, the conscience of every man will doe his office, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 2.15, 16. Then the bookes shall bee opened, Revelat. 20.12. Every mans conscience wherein (as in a booke) all the actions of his life, and words of his mouth, and thoughts that have beene in his heart, are faithfully recorded; and which were in many men all the dayes of their lives, like such a clasped, or sealed booke, as is spoken of Esa. 29.11. that they could never read nor see what was written in it; shall then be layd open before him, that he may read, yea, hee shall then be compelled to read what is written in it. Then will the Lord bring the hidden things of darkenesse to light (as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Corinth. 4.5.) and will make manifest the counsels of mens hearts unto them. Then shall all men clearely see, not onelyonly what they have done, but also whether it have bene good or evill, lawfull or unlawfull that they have done. The eyes of their consciences are now so blind, that they cannot see, nor perceive by the clearest light of the Word, in the plainest ministery that is, that to neglect prayer in secret, and in their families, to spend the greatest part of every Sabbath irreligiously, to neglect the hearing of the Word upon the Lecture day, upon every trifling occasion, to live in malice, to use fraud in their dealings with men, to spend their time unprofitably, &c. are any sinnes; but when that day commeth, the scales will fall from the eyes of their consciences, and they shall clearely see, that they are sinnes, and grievous sins too. Then their conscience will beare witnesse according to the worke of the Law that is written in their hearts. Romans 2.15, 16. And that which he saith of the knowledge of the Elect in that day, is true also of the knowledge that the reprobate shall have then, 1 Corinth. 13.12. Now they see but as through a glasse, darkely, but then face to face; now they know but in part, but then they shall know, even as they are knowne. And as the Lord speaketh in another case, Ier. 23.20. it may be said unto all men in this case, In the latter dayes ye shall understand it plainly (which now you cannot be perswaded of) that these are sinnes.